Gear
A friend recommended we get a BOB Revolution Flex Stroller for travel. We have a Bugaboo and it's a pain to collapse, not to mention heavy and bulky. She was absolutely right and I'm really glad we brought the BOB to travel with. Not only was it great on the sand, grass, and pavement, we used it as our luggage carrier at the airport. Keep in mind that I traveled four times to the airport with all of this luggage so it was a lifesaver. Don't forget to bring a car seat and adapter unless you plan on renting one when you get to your destination. Between the three of us, we had two bags to check in and four carry-on bags. I wore the baby in the Ergo Carrier and loaded the stroller up with the car seat, and our carry on bags which were mega heavy, on top. (One bag was our camera and camera gear and the other was all of my makeup and hair accessories.) I would also suggest getting stroller hooks to hang some bags. I have the Mighty Buggy Hook for stroller which held my diaper bag and any shopping bags. A tip I would recommend is if you're traveling with someone, and you guys are renting a vehicle, have them take the shuttle to pick up the rental and bring it around to pick you up with all the bags. It is a pain to collapse a stroller, take a baby and load everything on a shuttle, then off a shuttle and again into a car. This way you are only loading everything up one time until you get to your hotel.
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| How we had the stroller loaded at the airport |
The Ergo Baby 360 Carrier was awesome. Our guy is little so this was the first time we used it instead of the wrap. It was totally comfortable with lots of support and security. We have the 360 because it lets the baby look outwards which our guy loves. We took him on hikes and trails in it and he didn't make a peep. In fact, it rocked him to sleep!
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| LIFESAVER! We used the Ergo at the airport, the plane, and every walk or hike! |
The OXO Tot On-The-Go drying rack was so convenient. I set it out in the hotel bathroom and everything would dry quickly and thoroughly. You can use it for bottles, breast pump parts, spoons or bowls. Having the brush was essential because we forgot to wash one bottle and it smelled rancid! I soaked all the parts in hot water and did a thorough cleanse with the brush and luckily, it smelled as good as new.
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| How I had my bottles set up in our room. Love the drying rack! |
Packing
I packed a large suitcase and combined my clothes along with our son's clothes. For him, I packed 7 plain white onesies, 4 decorated onesies, 7 pairs of shorts, swim shorts and rash guards, 2 sweat suits (he wore one on the flight and one set back), one jacket, 2 tee shirts, 3 pajamas, 3 pairs of socks, extra burp rags, 2-3 hats, a package of diapers, a package of swim diapers, and a full bulk package of wipes. He literally wore shorts every day and I actually wish I packed more tee shirts because he was hot in the onesies. If you ever run across any stores that sell baby tank tops, get them because our whole trip he was warm, especially in the Ergo baby carrier. I also do not recommend bringing shoes for the baby. They're easy to lose and they really don't need them. In fact, I didn't even use the socks I packed but packed them in case it got cold since I didn't bring long pants.
Diaper bag/ Carry-On
You want to make sure your diaper bag is fully, if not, overstocked. They actually lost my luggage at the airport in Kauai and I wasn't in too much of a panic because I had everything essential on me. In my bag I packed diapers (as many as I could stuff in there) two packs of travel wipes, Desitin and Vaseline, baby powder (a friend told me how it gets sand off instantly and she was right!), a Wet Happens Bag which had two additional onesies and a pair of pants inside, disposable diaper bags, toys that included teething toys and a soft book, hand sanitizer, four empty bottles and one full of breast milk, four bottles of water (when traveling with a baby, there is no limit of liquids but they may test them), formula, three bibs, three burp rags, two blankets, four pacifiers (we did end up losing one), thermometer, Baby Advil, Saline Nasal Mist, travel size liquid dish soap, baby shampoo, sunscreen (Love this one because they are a bunch of minis) and lotion. My son ended up with a runny nose our last two days and luckily I had my thermometer so I was able to check his temperature to assure he didn't have a fever. The saline worked like a charm and he was cleared up by his second night.
Food
I took two cans of formula for seven nights and honestly, I barley made it. My son drinks 5-6 ounces every 3 hours and for some reason, my math was off. I also had a formula dispenser in my diaper bag as an emergency stash with an additional 14 scoops that we went through. I would suggest three cans of formula at this age because the last thing you want to do is run around looking for some and experiment with a new brand.
Be prepared for issues!
As I mentioned, my son had a slight cold and he also was constipated! Who would have thought that infants can have travel constipation? He usually has a BM twice a day and by day 4, I was worried. We called the doctor and ended up getting glycerin suppositories from the drug store in Oahu. It worked! I kid you not, within the next 24 hours, he went 8 times hence the reason I emphasize that extra diapers are needed! The Vaseline helped keep it moist in the area and the Desitin helped heal his raw little booty.
Flight Tips
Don't be worried or anxious about how your baby will behave on the flight. There are lots of fussy and unhappy babies on flights and if anything, people around you will try to help you soothe the baby. I felt like everyone was extra nice including the flight crew.
I was told that giving a bottle or pacifier is essential for take-off and landing for their ears so I just had a bottle and pacifier ready to go and he was fine. If you are a nursing mom, don't be nervous. Tons of moms were nursing on the plane and they even sell an Inflatable Nursing Pillows to use for planes!
I did diaper changes in my seat with a pad over my lap. There is no way I would have been able to do it in the tiny bathroom especially the way our little guy squirms. I just kept adding the diapers to the disposable bags (they mask the smell) and then tossed the bag at the end when the flight attendant came to collect garbage.
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| He loves his softbooks! Bring toys for the flight. |
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| The BOB was a GREAT travel stroller. Works smooth on the sand! |
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| Couldn't resist a baby bum pic! |
I think that's everything! Safe travels!
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